Just for Me

by Jennifer Hansen Rolli, Laina Burgess (Read by)

Overview

The adorable and spunky Ruby learns a new life lesson about sharing: "just for me" isn't nearly as much fun as "just for us!"

When Ruby has something special, she likes to say "just for me!"

That includes everything from her dolly to the colorful candy sprinkles she uses to decorate her cookies. But when a friend comes over for playtime, Ruby takes her mantra just one step too far, and a precious toy is broken. Just when it looks like playtime has been ruined, Ruby realizes that having a friend is much more fun than having everything to herself.

"Sharing is caring" has never felt so spot-on as it does in Just For Me. With sparse text and bright, bold illustrations, this is the perfect story for parents to share with their little readers--and for readers to share with their friends!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781984835307
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	07/16/2019
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
Lexile:	AD210L (what's this?)
File size:	48 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Jennifer Hansen Rolli ran her own design firm for many years before returning to her first love: oil painting. She lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with her family.

Editorial Reviews

2019-04-10
When Ruby has something special, it's hard for her to share.

Ruby, who appears white, likes to say "Just for me!" about all her special things: her dolly, a castle built of blocks, sprinkles on cookies, a turn at the mirror with Daddy's shaving cream. When her brown-skinned friend arrives—"a friend just for me"—Ruby continues to smilingly declare ownership of everything. The two-wheeler and the bubbles don't cause much trouble, but when Ruby tries to grab the tiara off her (unnamed) friend's head, she isn't smiling—and soon, neither is her friend. A broken tiara teaches Ruby to use the words "for me and you," leading to "a good-bye hug just for you." A silhouette of her parents walking with her on the last spread shows readers that her Mommy and Daddy are "just for" Ruby…but only "for now." Visible paint strokes and strong colors make for textured and dynamic illustrations, though a too-varied color palette keeps the book from settling into a particular tone or mood. Ruby's possessiveness will be familiar to many a toddler, and while the final image may need to be explained to younger readers, her turn-around is as instructive as it is intended to be. While Ruby's claiming her friend as "just for [her]" is true to toddler development, that Ruby seems white and her friend appears black is quite unfortunate.

There are better books out there on the sharing theme, but this one will do in a pinch. (Picture book. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews